Last updated: 27 October 2026
Banksy is the anonymous street artist whose stencils turn up on walls without warning. Here you will find how his work is sold and authenticated, the shows he has nothing to do with, and how to avoid fakes.
Our take on Banksy
Banksy works through one office. “We’re the office that handles the paperwork for the graffiti artist Banksy,” says Pest Control Office. “We are the sole point of contact for the artist.”
That matters if you want to buy. Pest Control says it is “the only point of sale for new work by the artist” and the only source of certificates of authenticity. It does not authenticate stickers, posters or anything made illegally on the street.
It also warns about exhibitions. “Banksy is not involved or associated with any of them,” it says of the many touring Banksy shows. In October 2025 it posted that a new Banksy show in London “is not a show by Banksy”.
Banksy: the essentials
- Anonymous street artist; Pest Control Office is the only official point of contact.
- Pest Control issues certificates of authenticity for paintings, prints and sculptures, and runs a check-before-you-buy service.
- Banksy is not represented by any gallery or institution, according to Pest Control.
- Banksquiat. Boy and Dog in Stop and Search (2018) was shown beside Basquiat’s Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump (1982) at the Hirshhorn Museum, Washington DC, from 2024 to 2026.
Banksy exhibitions
- Pest Control says Banksy is not involved in the commercial Banksy exhibitions that tour cities, including a London show it flagged in October 2025.
- Basquiat × Banksy, Hirshhorn Museum, Washington DC, 29 September 2024 to 7 September 2026.
Where to buy Banksy
Be careful: Pest Control warns that high-level fake prints from around 2003 are in circulation.
- New work: only through Pest Control Office, when anything is available.
- Older work: buy only with a Pest Control certificate of authenticity, and use its check-before-you-buy service first.
Banksy FAQs
Who authenticates Banksy artworks?
Pest Control Office, which says it is the only source of certificates of authenticity for Banksy.
Is the Banksy exhibition in London by Banksy?
Pest Control says Banksy is not involved in the touring Banksy exhibitions, and flagged a London show in October 2025 as not his.
Where can I buy a real Banksy print?
New work only through Pest Control. For older prints, insist on a Pest Control certificate.
Does Pest Control authenticate street pieces?
No. It does not issue certificates for anything made illegally, or for stickers and posters.
More from CoolCuration
- Christo at Gagosian review: art made to be seen in public.
- Great Art Explained: James Payne’s guide to how famous works were made.
- Frieze London review: what was worth seeing at this year’s fair.
- Best affordable art in the UK: where to start collecting prints and editions.
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Main image: Banksy, The Mild Mild West, Stokes Croft, Bristol. Photo: Earthkingfather via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and framed by CoolCuration. Exhibition dates and prices last checked: 27 October 2026.
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